After withdrawing from all party budget talks because of a lack of trust and honesty surrounding those talks, the Kirklees Conservative Group will be proposing a 1% Council Tax rise in their budget amendment to be placed before full Council on the 24th February 2010. The budget proposal:

• reverses many of the increased charges proposed by Labour,

• improves highways,

• improves care for the vulnerable,

• invests in communities,

• reduces central expenditure,

• introduces free access to sports centres and swimming baths for forces personnel

• and retains the Council Tax Pensioner Discount.

In a statement Group Leader Cllr Jim Dodds said:

"I am confident that our budget proposals will achieve the required savings through efficiencies and will not degrade any front line service. A 1% increase shows a substantial difference between ourselves and the Lib/Lab alliance and the Conservatives are the only Group to have pledged to continue the Pensioner Discount.

"In October last year I was critical of the Labour administration when they took £16m out of the Highways budget – and now just three months later they are putting £3m back in! But we will do better than that and are proposing to increase the Highways capital budget by £6m. We have also committed extra funds for seasonal maintenance including additional gritting around elderly peoples areas, gully cleaning and provision of sandbags in areas susceptible to flooding.

"My group withdrew from the all party talks because we would not and could not agree to the proposed additional £2m income to be found from increased car parking charges. Labour have not made clear how they intend to achieve this but their options will have to include increasing all existing charges and introducing charges in our smaller towns and villages where there are currently no charges. Such increases will clearly have a knock on effect of reducing visitors to our towns and villages – which is hardly the tactic the Council should be using as we move out of a recession and when businesses are failing on a daily basis.

"The Conservative amendment does not include further increases in the cost of burials and cremations as in the Labour budget, and we will reduce the charges proposed for Homecare and introduce a Dementia Early Intervention project. Money is back in our budget to re-open New Mill Library and to extend Priority Neighbourhoods ensuring that all areas of need are funded correctly. Forces personnel will also be allowed free access to sports centres and swimming baths under a new scheme we will introduce.

"We are also committed to devolving more funding to ward members allowing them a greater say on what improvements or events should be carried out in their local area. Our budget offers genuine value for money at a time when it is greatly needed in our local communities."